Red Bouquet
by marill-chan
Summary: A day out with the girls sparks Chrome's interest in weddings. What's going to happen when the Vongola Famiglia is invited to a wedding of the least likely person? 5996, but look for other 96 pairings!
1. RABURIDEI Magazine

**Okay, okay. Yell at me all you want because I'm REALLY sorry for my hiatus again.. fans of _Getting to Know Each Other_, this time I'm honestly sincere when I say that I PROMISE you a new chapter, and soon!**

**This is my new fic that will have a couple of chapters; not sure who Chrome will be paired with yet. IDEAS PLZ**

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR, it is owned by Akira Amano. Enjoy!**

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><p>"Wasn't the lead male so cute, Chrome-chan?"<p>

Kyoko's casual inquiry shook Chrome Dokuro out of her absentminded thoughts. "Ne, his smile was so dreamy!" Chrome looked up from the pebble on the sidewalk that she was kicking to see Kyoko's happy, flushed face to her right. To her left, Haru was wiping her tears away with a strawberry-patterned handkerchief. It was a few days into summer break from school, and the three girls decided to get together and watch the latest love drama at the movie theater, _Mine Forever After._

Personally, Chrome hadn't liked the drama. In the movie, the lead male character, Hideaki, was the lonely son of the alcoholic, short-tempered landlord of the apartment building where the lead female character, Eiko, lived. Hideaki fell in love with Eiko at first sight when he saw her move into the apartment temporarily so she could pursue a career as a fashion designer. The two have a blissful relationship throughout most of the movie, until Hideaki's father beats him to death in a drunken rage. While she is driving home from the funeral in the rain, Eiko almost dies in a car accident. At the end of the movie, Eiko is slipping between life and death; while in Heaven for a short time, Eiko has a tearful conversation with Hideaki. She agrees to fight to continue living, but the movie ends with a cliffhanger when a murderer enters the hospital, searching for Eiko.

First, Hideaki's father was portrayed by a famous comedian from Tokyo, so it was difficult to go along with his angry expressions and fury. Second, the actress portraying Eiko is one of the singers from a pop group, and she was promoting her group's tour the whole movie; Eiko was listening to their CDs, had posters of them on the wall, and was wearing a promotional t-shirt in one scene. Third, adding the murderer and the cliffhanger at the end of the movie was too much, and seemed to be just thrown in by the screenwriters to attempt to hold the audience's interest. However, Chrome agreed that the actor portraying Hideaki was indeed cute.

"Yes, ah… he has hair that makes him look like a singer from a K-Pop group," Chrome replied, choosing her words carefully to properly explain her opinion. Kyoko smiled widely and nodded, probably relieved that Chrome took the initiative, and she didn't have to prod for some effort. Haru blew her nose loudly (Chrome noted that the sound was like a trumpet) before speaking.

"Haru cried and cried when the neighbors found Hideaki's body!" Haru added, putting the handkerchief back into her purse. "It's wasn't fair! He was secretly making plans to take Eiko to America where she could debut her designs in New York City! Haru wishes that her prince will be as romantic."

Kyoko rolled her eyes and shot Chrome a glance. They both knew that Haru still liked Tsuna a bit, even though she claims that she likes somebody else now; the older brother of a classmate from Midori Middle School. Although, during a secret phone call, Kyoko had whispered to Chrome about her Gokudera theory...

Chrome loved times like these. It was so refreshing to discuss movie plots and dreamy smiles, fashion designs and new CDs, instead of arguing about attack strategies, training, and death. _This is how a normal girl lives her life, ne? A 'normal' girl…like Kyoko-chan, Haru-chan… _As Kyoko playfully teased Haru about "Akesaka's older brother's abs," Chrome watched and wondered why she never experienced friendship during her time as Nagi. She held on to these fun memories and kept them in her mind, so during a battle, or if she's bloody and wounded on the ground, she could still go back to the time where she watched a silly movie with her friends, and pretend that she was still there.

"Where should we go now?" Kyoko asked, eyeing the colorful stores on each side of the street. The sidewalks were bustling with giggling girls, groups of friends, and mothers pushing strollers and holding onto unruly toddlers. "Downtown Namimori has so many places to shop! I want to buy some new tank tops for the summer…"

Haru's stomach growled. She smoothed down her pigtail braided hair, different from her usual ponytail, and said, "Haru is a little hungry and she didn't eat any of the popcorn you got because it was too salty… Let's go to that new café that just opened last week!"

Hastily, so the girls wouldn't look at her with those sad, pitying eyes (_Ah, what do you think...Chrome-chan..?)_, Chrome piped in before Kyoko said anything. "Yes, I would really like some _tapiokadorinku _(tapioca drink)."

"Me too! You guys have enough money?" Kyoko said, everyone checking their wallets. "Then, let's go!"

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><p>"Please!" Haru begged, tugging on Chrome and Kyoko's arms. Chrome was surprised at her new-found strength, and added it to her mental list of Kyoko &amp; Haru's Interesting Quirks. "It won't take long, Haru only wants to look around!"<p>

"No! Also, I thought you said that you were hungry," Kyoko said.

"Please! Haru will only take a minute and then be right back here at the café!"

"What if you get lost?"

"It's only across the street! Look from where Chrome-chan is standing, she can see it out the window! Haru has her cell phone; Haru has your number and Chrome-chan's, too!"

"-sigh- Okay, but Chrome-chan and I get large drinks, and you get a small!"

"Fine, but please order cake for Haru. You know what Haru likes!"

"Ugh," Kyoko rolled her eyes as she and Chrome stood in line at the café. Haru dashed out the door and made a beeline for the bridal boutique across the street, _Watashi no RABURIDEI _(_my LOVELY DAY_). The beautiful, princess-like wedding dresses and tiara veils in the store display window had caught Haru's eye, and reminded her of something that Eiko's actress, the pop singer, would wear. Plus, some of the gowns looked fit for a queen, and Haru didn't have a queen costume for her cosplay collection yet.

"What will you be having today, miss?" The pimple-faced teen behind the counter asked too quickly, ogling Kyoko, who was oblivious. He didn't notice Chrome standing next to/behind Kyoko.

"Three _dango_, _matcha manju_, and hot green tea," Kyoko said, smiling as always. The cashier looked faint. "Three slices of American-style strawberry shortcake for my friend, please."

"Of course, miss," the cashier said too quickly, missing a beat and fumbling the sentence. He added up the totals. "And whaddya want?" he called over his shoulder in Chrome's direction, back turned.

"Um, just two _taiyaki_ and a taro _tapiokadorinku_," Chrome said quietly. She inwardly groaned, hoping very much that the cashier would treat her with as much kindness as he did with Kyoko.

"Yeah, yeah," he replied, sounding bored. Drooling, he handed Kyoko her treats and nearly giggled when her hand touched his when she gave him the money. Kyoko patted Chrome's arm and showed her where she was going to sit – near the window, so they could see when Haru showed up. She went to get a napkin, and Chrome waited for her pastries.

"Here," the cashier shoved the small plate towards Chrome, but just about dropped it when he looked at her for the first time. "Wow…" he murmured, full on staring her in the face, jaw practically hitting the counter. Chrome blushed profusely, but did not exactly appreciate the new attention. "No, no, it's…on the house…" he refused the money when Chrome tried to pay. His narrow, dull eyes were trailing down her 'outfit' when Chrome finally dashed off towards Kyoko; she could hear him saying "wow" again, as the frustrated customer behind her tried to order.

"Some boys, huh?" Kyoko greeted halfheartedly as Chrome slid into the booth. She began nibbling the head of the fish-shaped cake first, as she usually ate animal-shaped treats - gummy bears, chocolate bunnies. With fork in hand and tea in the other, Kyoko attacked her _manju_ with the enthusiasm of a greasy otaku on the newest volume of a shonen manga. Another quirk added to the list...

Minutes passed while Chrome slowly sipped her _tapiokadorinku_ and Kyoko daintily dabbed her mouth with a napkin. Chrome glanced at Kyoko out of the corner of her eye, and could tell that she was busily thinking of chatter to fill the silence. _You don't have to say anything, I'm content to just sit here and enjoy the company of friends,_ Chrome wanted to console her, but was too shy to be so forward. She smiled at her as an attempt to project her thoughts, but Kyoko read it as an o-k to speak.

"So, Haru did a really good job on your hair today," Kyoko said. It was true; Haru had demanded that Chrome come to her house early before the movie so she could do her hair. She French-braided Chrome's lavender locks into two pigtails, than did her own the same exact way ("Haru loves to be matching!") while Chrome experimented with pink and red lip glosses, at Haru's encouragement. Then, the two girls left Haru's house arm in arm, and met up with Kyoko outside the theater.

There was more silence, and Chrome started to say "yes, I-" just as Kyoko rushed in with "And your -". Chrome took an unceremoniously large bite of her _taiyaki_ then, and Kyoko awkwardly blew her bangs out of her eyes. She was glad, at least, that Kyoko was still putting up with her shyness, even though Kyoko had plenty of other friends to hang out with.

"Your t-shirt!" Kyoko exclaimed with a big grin. "I bought you that for your birthday, right?" It was a fitted graphic tee, and on it a cute pineapple and a few English words scripted prettily. Chrome had worn it specifically for the occasion.

"Yes." They ate a little bit more, this time in a more comfortable silence.

Haru burst through the cafe doors just as Chrome asked why she was taking so long. Her eyes were wild with excitement, and she clutched magazines to her chest. Spotting her friends, she ran straight at them and dove into the booth, squishing Chrome in the middle.

"Look what Haru got!" Haru sang, pushing the plates to the other end of the table and spreading out three magazines. "This is the newest issue of _RABURIDEI_ magazine, the number one bridal magazine in all of Namimori! There's one for each of us to look at."

"Hahi? Where's Haru's _mugicha _drink? Ohh, you forgot, didn't you!" Haru sprang from the seat and jumped into line. "Don't read them yet!" she yelled across the cafe, earning irritated looks from seated customers.

_RABURIDEI _was printed largely on the side of the cover in traditional kanji, and across the top in smaller lettering said _LOVELY DAY._ The cover model was a beautiful, blushing bride in a Western-style gown. Even though she was Japanese, her hair was big, bright, and blonde. Her groom had a lopsided grin, brown hair, and olive skin - Chrome guessed that he was Italian, like the Cavallone boss and the Kyuudaime.

"Okay, now look through it!" Haru said as she returned to the booth. Mouth full of strawberry cake, she began saying why she took a long time. "Haru only wanted to look at the best gowns, and the saleslady approached Haru! She said, 'Young lady, you have the potential to become the new face of _Watashi no RABURIDEI_!_' _Can you imagine? Atashi, a model, dropping out of school! Haru said no way, but thank you anyway. Then, the saleslady gave Haru three copies of the latest issue of their magazine, and said that if Haru ever considered the offer again, then come back to the boutique!"

"Mhm," Chrome said, eyes scanning the pages, barely listening to a word Haru said. Kyoko only murmured "oh, really" because she was so absorbed in the accessories on page 16. Haru huffed, but nonetheless began flipping through the pages as well.

The three girls continued admiring the dress designs and modern twists. Occasionally, they would point out to each other specific shoes that they liked, or grooms that were especially cute.

"I love this neckline," Kyoko said at one point. "But I don't think I have enough chest to hold it up!" She said deviously, and the girls laughed.

"I bet Tsuna-san would love this one," Haru's eyes glowed as she turned the page. Kyoko giggled when she turned the next page.

"Haha, this bridesmaid kinda looks like Tsuna-kun!" Even Chrome couldn't help but laugh, especially when Haru's face turned bright red.

"Ooh, look at the girl on page 12, red bouquet," Haru gasped. "She looks like _you_, Chrome-chan!"

The model had dark black, almost violet hair, and it hung loosely down her back. There was no groom in the picture, but the bride had such a confident smirk, that she was almost saying that she didn't need one. Probably, if any man looked at her, they would fall in love at first sight. _She may look a little bit like me, but I'd never be as confident as her_, Chrome grimaced.

"Hm, I gotta get home," Kyoko said, checking her cellphone for the time. "Onii-san has a match at 7 and I promised him I'll be there."

"Okay," Haru shrugged her shoulders and stood up. "Chrome-chan, ready to leave?"

She nodded and they left the cafe and started on their way home.

"Haru thinks that some of those girls didn't deserve to be in the magazine," Haru complained. "They didn't look like they loved their man at all, only like they were posing!"

"Yeah, some of them are way too young to be married," Kyoko said. "Hey," she stopped suddenly. "When it's my turn to be married, I want you girls to be my maid-of-honor and a bridesmaid."

"Ha-hi!" Haru cried. "You're making Haru tear up!"

"And since there's three of us, we can each take turns being the bridesmaid and the maid-of-honor! Ne, Chrome-chan?"

"Mhm," Chrome agreed, falling into step. Secretly, she couldn't wait for her turn to be on "page 12," with a red bouquet of her own.

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><p><strong>Whatcha think? Please Review, they make me smile :) If you have any ideas, feel free to include them; new chapter soon!<strong>


	2. Dino's Surprise

**Second chapter is here! There will be some phrases in Italian, so check the bottom of the page for the definitions.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR, it is owned by Akira Amano. Enjoy!**

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><p>"D-D-Dino-san, engaged? H-how?"<p>

"It's truly a mystery, Jyuudaime."

"Haha, that's so cool! Can't wait to congratulate him!"

"How extremely manly of him!"

"Bwahahahaha! Horsie-man is too ugly to have a _fidanzata_!"

"Tsuna, shut up your Guardians or I'll kill you. Dino is almost here and he wanted to surprise you all with the news; I already spoiled it to teach him a lesson on disappointment."

_Sounds like you just pulled that idea out of your a_- "OW!" Tsuna yelped as Reborn kicked the back of his head. Almost immediately, Dino waltzed into the living room, with Tsuna's mother giggling in tow. "Tsuna-kun, your onii-san just told me the news!" She said, smiling wildly.

"Haha, whaaaaaaaaaaaat news?" Yamamoto asked Dino, winking at the others. Tsuna slapped his forehead.

"Thanks for asking," Dino grinned. "My _otouto_'s Family, I have an announcement." The boys moved a little closer to Dino, but remained perched on the couch and floor. "I'm engaged!"

Ryohei ran forward and clapped Dino on the back. "Congratulations, Bucking Horse!" Lambo had already followed Tsuna's mother to the kitchen, missing the whole announcement. He had already heard it from Reborn.

"Who is your girlfr- ah, your fiancee? I've never heard about her," Tsuna said, curiously. Dino smiled genuinely and pulled out his wallet.

"The two of us on vacation in Monte Carlo," he said. In the picture was Dino and his fiancee, holding hands and grinning at the camera. Behind them was a roulette wheel, indicating that they had won the jackpot. The woman had lightly tanned skin, dark brown hair, and a smile that matched Dino's. In the background, Tsuna could distinguish Dino's disguised subordinates from the actual tourists.

"Her name is Alessia, the daughter of Romario," Dino explained. _Romario has a daughter?_ Tsuna exclaimed in his head, but bit his tongue. "We've been together even before I became the boss of the Cavallone. Our courting was kept a secret for her safety; however, our engagement is the exception."

"Tsunayoshi," Dino straightened himself and turned to Tsuna. This was important, Tsuna knew, because Dino rarely used his full name. "I want you to be my best man." Tsuna flopped onto the couch, mouth slack and eyes wide. "One of my groomsmen has a mission the week of my wedding, so..." he turned to Gokudera, who was about to light up a cigarette. "Tsuna's right hand man, Gokudera Hayato - how would you like to be one of my groomsmen?"

Completely caught off guard, Gokudera dropped the cigarette on the ground. Yamamoto flashed him a knowing smile, and Ryohei vigorously nodded his agreement. Dino stared at him expectantly with the look of a serious, heartless Mafia boss.

"I..." Gokudera glanced at Tsuna, and thought of his duty towards him and the Family. _For Jyuudaime_, he figured. "Yeah, I'll do it," he said nonchalantly. Dino lost the cold stare and shook Gokudera's hand excitedly. _Tch_.

"Of course, otouto, your whole Family is invited," Dino said to Tsuna's unresponsive body. "Also, Alessia picked her maid of honor, flower girl, and three bridesmaids, but she wants me to include three bridesmaids of my own. Unfortunately, the women in my Family that I approached were not exactly interested in wearing dresses and acting flowery. So, do you have three girl friends that would like to be bridesmaids?"

Tsuna's head lolled around, as a form of a nod. "Great!" Dino said. Just then, Tsuna's mother called the boys for lunch. Reborn lead the pack, dragging Tsuna's body, purposely hitting Tsuna's head on the side of the kotatsu. Dino held back for a moment. "Gokudera," he called.

"What is it, Bucking Horse," Gokudera said coolly, leaning against the wall.

"For a second there I thought you weren't going to accept being a groomsman," Dino shrugged. "What gives? You don't like me? You don't like being a bridesman? You don't like weddings?"

"I would do anything for the boss," Gokudera snapped. "I don't hate you or anything, you're an ally, after all. I just don't believe in marriage. My father never married my _mother-_" he bit that word, "and how could I be bonded to one person 'until death do us part.' I could imagine that they'd lose interest in me." _Just as my father to my real mother_.

"_Devi solo aspettare e vedrai, sarà divertente_," Dino said knowingly. Gokudera muttered and pushed past him into the kitchen. He took the seat between Tsuna and Yamamoto.

"Huh," Dino mused. He too joined the goodhearted people in the kitchen, determined to enjoy his meal without fumbling and tripping. His closest subordinate, after all, was thousands of miles away in Italy.

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><p>The chance to become bridesmaids came sooner then they thought.<p>

Tsuna had called Chrome on her cellphone in the late afternoon. She had been resting in her bedroom at Kokuyo Land, absorbed in an Italian language book, the bridal magazine on her nightstand. Mukuro had taught her the basics (_Ciao signor, come stai?_), but she was determined to learn the language as though she had been speaking it since birth. Personally, Chrome thought that she was pretty good at it now - she could walk into the kitchen, say something in Italian to Chikusa about tonight's dinner, and he wouldn't even blink. Ken, on the other hand, never ceased to be surprised whenever Chrome could understand his swears and insults. She was articulating the sentence, "_Dove si trova la ferita?_" when her phone rang.

Chrome was pleasantly surprised and frightened at the same time. Tsuna had bumbled for a few minutes on small talk and recent happenings, until finally he blurted out Dino's request. "You don't have to if you don't want to!" Tsuna said. If she could see him, Chrome would have guessed that he was waving his arms around and frantically running his hand through his hair. "But, it would really be a great help if you would be one of his bridesmaids."

It was an interesting notion. As Nagi, she had attended countless weddings between wealthy, old businessmen and gold-digger, beautiful women. Her mother and stepfather were always invited, because they were wealthy socialites themselves. At each reception, Chrome was always being introduced to the sons of top corporate executives, rich hotel owners, and successful doctors or lawyers. Each was the same. "Nagi-chaaaaan," her mother would smile, sickly sweet. Her fake nails would dig into Chrome's shoulder. "Just have one dance with him, his father is rich," she would hiss. And Chrome would waltz with many boys, all babbling about themselves, their money, or how beautiful she looked in her dress. All the while, they would step on her feet and stare at her body. At the end of each night, her feet would ache, but her heart ached worse.

"Of course, Bossu," Chrome said. She hadn't been to a wedding as Chrome Dokuro yet, so this was her chance. "Will I know any of the other bridesmaids?"

"Yeah! Kyoko-chan and Haru, I've asked them too," Tsuna said. "Now, if you have any questions, you can call Dino's fiancee, Alessia, at - " Chrome's phone beepbeeped, showing another incoming call.

"Sorry Bossu, Haru-chan is calling me," Chrome said, almost like asking a question. "It might be important."

"Ah, of course! I'll just...text you Alessia-san's number," Tsuna stuttered. "Bye."

Tsuna hung up, and Haru's call came in. Chrome had to hold the phone away from her ear to keep from Haru's gushing. "Can you believe it, Chrome-chan!" Haru squealed. "Kyoko-chan is here, and we're looking at the _RABURIDEI_ magazine again! Page 22, page 22! Haru wants to dress up like those bridesmaids! Can you come over right now?"

Chrome checked the clock. Chikusa and Ken wouldn't return from training for another few hours.

"Yes, I'll be there," Chrome said, tying her hair back into the usual pineapple bun. She hung up, grabbed the magazine, and headed for the door. On her way to Haru's house, Chrome absently began wondering what color her dress was, what the cake flavor would be, and who would walk her down the aisle during the ceremony...hopefully, not another egotistical jerk...

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><p><em><strong>fidanzata<strong>_** - girlfriend, fiancee**

**_Devi solo aspettare e vedrai, sarà divertente_ - Just you wait and see, it'll be fun**

_**Ciao, signor, come stai?**_** - Hello mister, how are you?**

**_Dove si trova la ferita?_ - Where is the wound?**

**New chapter of _Getting to Know Each Other_ soon, maybe next week? Also, thinking about changing my pen name... anyway, leave your reviews, they keep me going! Thanks for reading, until next time :)**


	3. Picking Partners

**Third chapter is here! Now we have a glimpse into Dino and Alessia's lives ^_^**

**Special thanks to my reviewers _mAsaaRi'N'hElL, redangel12, Maverick no Knight, _and_ xAngelic_! And xAngelic, it's from personal experience haha!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own KHR, it is owned by Akira Amano. Enjoy!**

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><p>"<em>Oh, how-cute-are-you! Oh, how-cute-you-are?<em>" Dino chuckled as Alessia tossed the Italian-to-English dictionary back onto the coffee table in frustration. She sent a death glare his way, and moved away from him on the couch. Another chuckle, and Dino scooted towards her so he could wrap his arms around her. Alessia slapped his arm away.

"Hey, I'm sorry," Dino held his hands up in surrender. "but you're making a big deal out of nothing! You speak enough Japanese, so you don't have to learn English to be able to understand them. I think that Dokuro speaks Italian anyway."

"And the other two girls? Sasagawa-san and Miura-san?" Alessia said, looking at their pictures again. "English is not a neutral language for them?" Dino shook his head, and Alessia sighed. "Alright, I'll stop."

The day had barely begun, but Alessia was always up early, as though an alarm was permanently set in her mind. She had already made breakfast before 5, spoke to her boss over video chat until 7, met with the wedding planner at 8, sorted out the bridal registry with the company at 9, and made it home before 10, just as Dino was straggling out to the bathroom, blonde hair a mess and flattened on one side.

"Yes! Now, can we get on with the other plans? I am meeting Romario - or should I say, _papà - _for lunch so we could discuss an upcoming mission," Dino whined.

Alessia grabbed one of the folders off of the table and lightly smacked him with it. "The wedding planner said that she would take care of business with the caterers, florists, and all that, but she wants the bridesmaids and groomsmen couples to be matched by next week. This way, we can also start rehearsal for the waltz routine by next Wednesday."

"Okay," Dino agreed. "First, the maid of honor should be paired with the best man, correct? So, the first pair will be my otouto and Constanzia." He looked at Alessia in surprise. "Now, Constanzia, she's a bit shallow... she won't be troubled because Tsunayoshi is just 14 years old?"

"Yeah, yeah, Connie won't care," Alessia said, half listening. "What difference does four or five years make?" She continued to flip through the pictures in the folder, scanning. "But wouldn't Tsunayoshi look so cute with one of your bridesmaids? See, this one with the red hair - which one was she?" Dino opened his mouth to give his opinion, but Alessia cut him off. "Wait, the best man should be with the maid of honor... actually, I like how your brunette bridesmaid's hair is in the same color family as ..."

O

Finally, after several cross outs, erasers tearing through the paper, and "oh no, he's too short for her"s, Dino and Alessia had completed the final list of couples. "Read it back to me," Dino said, leaning back with his hands behind his head. He closed his eyes in triumph.

"Here goes," Alessia said, clearing her throat. "Tsunayoshi with Connie, Lorenzo with Kyoko, Paolo with Haru, Filippo with Chrome, Victor with Gaia, Eiji with Lia, and Filippo with Sonia. Is that good?"

Dino thought it through, but then sat up. "You said Filippo twice?" Confused, Alessia glanced at the list again and groaned.

"_Dannazione,_ we almost had it," Alessia rubbed her temples. Anxious, she toyed with one of the leftover scones before nibbling on it. "Which groomsman are we missing?"

"Otouto's right hand man, Gokudera," Dino concluded, as he reached under the coffee table. "His picture fell out of the folder when you hit me!"

Alessia rolled her eyes and finished off the scone. "Who will be his partner, then?" She asked, dabbing her mouth with a napkin. "Sonia?"

"Wouldn't it help Filippo, though? He had a thing for her at university, remember?" Dino added. In one hand he held Filippo's picture, and in the other he held Gokudera's.

"Yes, and I don't think he ever got over it," Alessia said thoughtfully. "Anyway, at least he and Sonia are the same age. Both of them 24, could you imagine them dancing with 14 year olds?" She laughed a little as she placed their pictures next to each other. "And that leaves Dokuro-san and Gokudera, the Mist and Storm Guardians."

"I don't think it will be a problem," Dino said, shrugging. Alessia grinned.

"Alright then, we have our last two couples! Filippo and Sonia, and..." Alessia moved two pictures together. "Dokuro-san and Gokudera." She checked the list over again, and smiled wider. "Tomorrow I'll have a girls' day with your three bridesmaids, so I can get to know them better." Dino kissed her forehead before standing up, preparing to leave for the lunch meeting.

"Hey, how about every night this week, we invite over each of the couples for dinner? Then we can truly test if they're compatible," Dino suggested, pulling on his coat.

"Sure," Alessia said while she washed the breakfast dishes in the sink. "I'll invite Dokuro-san and Gokudera over tonight first because of all the 'trouble' we went to, matching them."

"Great! I'm leaving, see you at dinner. _Ti amo_," Dino called as he opened the door.

"_Ti amo anch'io_," Alessia replied. "Give my regards to _Padre_." She dried her hands and picked up the cordless phone, dialing the first number.

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><p>It was one of those rare days when all three of them were home for lunch at the same time, and Chrome wanted to make it special - at least, as special as her illusions could make the kitchen at Kokuyo land. The kitchen was actually an extension of the once employee lounge, complete with a broken refrigerator, a dirty stoveoven set, an old dishwasher, and a brand-new microwave that Ken had purchased for his instant cup ramen. Chrome swept the floor and wiped down the counters as best as she could, but the refrigerator would require a mechanic, and the stove's grease burned her eyes with just a look. It would take too long to fix, Chrome decided, so she simply used her illusions to create a sparkling refrigerator and stove set. However, the food illusions she created lacked taste, so she prepared the meal herself - also, the frozen food aisle prices were very tempting.

Ken, Chikusa, and Chrome sat around the counter, munching on shrimp tempura and rice in silence. Chrome took an uncomfortable gulp of tea, then rose to check on the taiyaki she was heating in the oven for dessert. At that moment, her cell phone rang, and Chikusa casually glanced at the caller ID.

"'Dino (house)'?" Chikusa read, eyebrows raised. Chrome placed the tray on the stovetop and took off her oven mitts. She took her phone from Chikusa and turned her back to the two boys. Ken looked questioningly at Chikusa, but he only shrugged and continued to eat.

"Ah, Alessia-san?" Chrome drifted to the next room to continue her conversation.

O

Gokudera hung up the phone and began pacing the floor of his apartment's kitchen. He was about to eat his lunch, but after the call, it sat untouched on the table. _I have to participate in a traditional waltz routine? It shouldn't be hard, I **did** take ballroom dancing class when I was 7... but escorting Dokuro down the aisle and being her dance partner? Tch. And now I have to cancel on Jyuudaime's meeting to have dinner at the stupid Bucking Horse's house..._

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><p><em><strong>dannazione - <strong>_**damn**

_**ti amo - **_**I love you**

_**ti amo anch'io**_** - I love you too**


End file.
